Nintendo has finally published the website for its upcoming Punch Out!! for the Wii, featuring a cool preview of the fight against Glass Joe (which seems eerily - and awesomely - familiar) and a new, kick-ass rendition of the classic game’s theme.

The game launches May 18, and is definitely something I’ll be looking forward to. I was never a huge fan of the original, only having played it a few times, but thanks to the Virtual Console, I have a newfound appreciation for the title, and am very excited to see how it translates to the Wii controls and updated graphics.

Did any one hear the rumor that Window’s 7 is launching on Wednesday? Does anyone care? I mean, are hordes of PC geeks (or is that Mac? I think it might be Mac geeks and PC nerds)… make that…hordes  of PC nerds, are they going to be lining up outside your friendly neighborhood Best Buy…in the full glare of public light so that local news channels can send their soft-news reporters down to ask questions like “have you ever seen a naked woman? How about a breast? Thigh? Small of the back?” No. I guess they would just download it from the website…far away from the prying questions of an overly-judgmental underly-computer literate media.

Still…who cares? You? You? Ferris?  Me, personally, I think I’ll wait to see if Microsoft starts airing commercials driving home the fact that Windows 7 ain’t that bad. In other words, I’m going to give it 6 months. (And this is neither here nor there, but I’m doing the same thing with the DSi. I’m sure it kicks ass and all that, but I like to get my stuff after the kinks get hammered out.)

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Summary: The Halo series moves away from the FPS realm to try an RTS.

Setting: Harvest, Arcadia, and other areas of the Halo universe.

Systems: Xbox 360

Genre: Real-Time Strategy.

Mood: Gritty, but distanced in a way.

Read the full review by Darthziggy.

If you’ve spent anytime recently on Xbox Live, Play Station Network or Nintendo’s Virtual Network (does anyone really use that?) you’ll notice that more and more there is a whole lot more game content making its way to gamers than there used to be. In fact in the past year gamers have been witness to everything from new map packs, weapons and cars to full fledged story missions. In the case of Rockstar’s, The Lost and the Damned, it’s practically a whole new game housed in the same landscape and setting of the original GTA IV. Recently there has been fresh content from Halo 3, Fallout 3and Call of Duty: World At War, Street Fighter IV and on and on. 

Additionally you have the consoles offering up old games to download direct to your hard drive. All this in addition to stuff we’ve come to expect like demos and other media like trailers, TV shows, movies, and music videos.

The console it would seem is finally making strides toward offering what PC gamers have had for years. But what does this mean for game retailers like Gamestop when it comes to the once popular method of trading in old games for new? Now that many of these games will offer up new content periodically, there’s no reason to get rid of them. Adding more wrinkles to the trade-in troubles is the fact that trades aren’t worth what they used to be, and now with things like exclusive download codes only for new games (that can’t be ported or reused) the motivation to trade your game is not as great. And not just for the person who bought the game but for the person who buys a used copy only to realize they won’t enjoy the benefit of that download code in the box.

So Long Trades, Hello Downloads

Let’s be clear, complete games (in the box) still have some shelf life. The saving grace right now for game retailers is that not everyone owns or has upgraded their consoles to larger hard drives so dumping a bunch of full games on your PS3 or 360 isn’t something anyone wants to do. And then there’s the chance of your machine breaking and suddenly you have no games at all. Memory is still memory and if you don’t have a lot of space then you tend to get pickier about what you want on your hard drive. So while the future of full box games is still intact (you’ll still need them to use the DLC), the trade business might as well hitch a ride on the Titanic.

Think about it … would you rather trade in your $60 game for $20 or $25 (if it’s still deemed worth that trade in value by the retailer) or would you rather hang on to that game and drop $20 for some new content of a game you already love? Granted sucky games like Kane & Lynch or Grabbed by the Ghoulies are not going to be good enough to even merit DLC but there are plenty A and B list games that will provoke a need for more content.

Get Ready For The DLC Flood

Keep in mind just because there’s downloadable content doesn’t mean you have to buy it but if you’re dealing with something like a map pack for a multiplayer mode and you don’t get it, then you miss out on that multiplayer fun. Ultimately it’s still money you have to spend but it’s less money for something you know you’re going to like or are still enjoying. Trading in your game means you get a fraction of what you paid for your game and not half enough to get another new game. So you end up using your trade to get something cheaper or bring in two or three games so you can get enough trade credit to get one new game. You don’t need to be a math wiz to figure out that DLC is a better deal.

It’s not just a better deal for gamers though. For developers and publishers they now get to improve upon popular titles with the new content rather than having to try and come up with title after title. Additionally no boxes or discs need to be made and shipped so big props to reducing the videogame industry’s carbon footprint.

It would seem that 2009 is really going to take monster leaps in DLC offerings so for the gaming glut that will happen in the fall, you can look forward to having stuff come out months later that will extend their lifespan well beyond what you could get for trading them in. And if less games are getting traded in, then what happens to gamers who typically wait to buy a used copy? Well, thanks to the internet marketplace there are other options like, Craig’s List and EBay that could possibly offer you a chance to buy a relatively newer game at a lower cost. Eventually though, the notion of game trading that was a useful way to save on games a few years ago will give way to DLC, downloadable older games and a game library that takes on the qualities of a giant loose-leaf binder with space to add more pages.

On the heels of Purpleblob’s review of Quantum of Solace for the Playstation 2, I figured I’d lend a hand and share some thoughts on a few of the other versions of the game, having played it on both the Wii and Xbox 360 (the latter of which is comparable to the PS3, as well).

While the PS2 port of the game sported a third-person interface, the “next-gen” varieties used first-person gameplay, with occasional romps into third-person for cover-based shooting and button-press quick-time-events when taking down enemies in a stealthy fashion. The graphics and collision are certainly a bit smoother than the PS2’s version, with none of the wall-bumping problems that Purpleblob mentioned running into (it’s too early in the morning to know if I intended that pun or not, so I’ll just let it go).

QoS on the Wii also features two different control schemes that, although very similar in overall gameplay, do vary the experience slightly. You can use the two-handed, Wiimote + Nunchuck controls that we are all familiar with from Zelda, Super Mario Galaxy, and other such games, or you can plug those two controllers into your trusty Wii Zapper and move around light-gun style. While having the option is cool at times, and at least gives the illusion that there was some variety in the control design, the game is more simple with the basic control configuration, as leaning both arms just to look around the area can get a bit taxing when playing through the entire campaign (rather than just the hand holding the Wiimote).

Online play is another function that was absent on the PS2’s version of Quantum, and while I could take or leave the numerous game modes, the system works fairly well and drops you into a game quite fast (depending on how many players are online, of course). I didn’t notice any lag or stutter when playing on either the Wii or 360, though I did have a few “WTF?” moments, which comes from being unceremoniously dropped in the middle of a game that had already started. Too much of the Halo fan in me, and not enough Call of Duty I suppose (which is where most of the game engine and online function were taken from anyway – hey, Activision can steal their own stuff, it’s cool).

As Purpleblob said, if you really need your Bond fix and you only have a PS2, by all means, pick up that version. If you have options for which console you’re planning to play, though, I’d definitely recommend the Wii for its control scheme and the 360 for its graphics (and the achievements… must… get… achievements…).

Grades: Xbox 360 - 8.6/10, Wii - 8.2/10. Good controls, better graphics, and online functions. Still not a great game, but worth playing, especially for fans of the franchise.

(All screens are from Xbox 360/PS3 versions.)

So yes, I’ve waited for days to finally talk about what is quickly becoming my most anticipated game for the rest of the year - Assassin’s Creed 2. At the risk of feeling a bit like a closet homosexual, I have to come out and finally say it publicly: I LOVED ASSASSIN’S CREED!

Yes, I did. After all the controversy, and the sharp criticisms (including those in our own review), looking back at it after all this time I realize that there was just something about that game that worked really well for my inner gamer. Strange as it may seem in this advanced gaming age of ours, I actually liked the repetitive simplicity, and the beauty of the parkour gameplay and the stunning setting never really grew old on me.

But enough about the old! If our friends over at Game Informer can be believed, the new Assassin’s Creed will be a formidable leap forward (parkour-style of course!), with the developers at Ubisoft taking some time to listen to and think about gamer criticisms of the first installation. The simplistic and repetitive “go to bureau, pick up job, kill and repeat” structure is gone, with all missions now developing directly as outgrowths of the sprawling storyline. The combat has also been revamped with a wider variety of weapons, and more strategic assassination options - the main character (who is not Altair, btw) can now swim, among other things. The enemies themselves will also have a lot more variety, both in terms of how they pursue, attack, and behave, as well as in terms of what weapons work best against them. And the new location - 15th century Italy, complete with Leonardo Da Vinci and the Medici family - surely will not disappoint.

All in all, I am excited. As I’ve written on this blog before, AC was one of those games that was sheer brilliance with a few crude design mistakes that splattered dirt on its otherwise magnificent face. Now it looks like AC2 will have no trouble correcting those minor goofs and taking the game to stellar new heights. Literally.

Harmonix has confirmed during a press release that Lego Rock Band will be coming our way this 2009 holiday season. The Vice President of the LEGO Group, Henrik Taudorf Lorensen, stated “LEGO Rock Band is built around the same values of imagination and family-friendly creative role play that is present in other LEGO videogames. It will deliver innovative new elements of game play that complement the fun of the Rock Band experience.”

Also, on Xbox’s official website, they have more interesting details about the game such as the ability to summon a storm to destroy giant robots. No joke.

So, there ya go folks, dreams DO come true (even for tiny plastic people)!

Thanks to Kotaku for the info.

Hey there! It’s me, Mike, the lovable writer of GameLemon’s smash hit comic, RESET! For those of you who don’t read my comic blog, I recently returned from a trip to Japan. Ostensibly this trip was to see more of the world, become cultured, bond with some of my good friends, blah, blah, blah. Really I went for the games. And let me tell you, I was not disappointed. Tokyo really is the world’s gaming capitol (and Osaka is not too far behind). I’ve been promising the readers of my comic some gaming-centric pictures (i.e. those from Akihabara) for about a week now, so here they are:

Okay, so these are just some general shots of Akihabara. What you can’t see are endless shelves of games, manga, anime, and toys inside each of those buildings. Really, you can’t. You’re not allowed.

Here’s a mighty Taito Game Station, an arcade that was something like seven stories high and absolutely packed. Surprisingly there were significantly more than just Taito games inside. Seeing the dozens of Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes machines lined up one after another made me sad all over again that the game probably isn’t going to get a U.S. console release. Dang…

This is the banner for one of Japan’s infamous maid cafes. You have to pay to take pictures inside, and I was having none of that. If I want pictures of pretty girls I’ll hide in the bushes and get them for free thank you very much.

Why if it isn’t my old friend Persona 3, here realized as a painting on a bunch of coin lockers! I don’t know about you, but I trust a public locker with my possessions just that much more if it has a painting of some of my favorite characters on them.

Here’s a couple of shots of Akihabara at night. Look how happy that little guy is! That was one of the first things I saw when I arrived in Tokyo, so needless to say I felt very welcome.

Sorry folks, but this is probably the only picture I actually got of a game. It’s House of the Dead EX, but despite bearing the House of the Dead name, it plays very, very differently than your typical House of the Dead game. In fact it was so bizarre that my extremely limited knowledge of Japanese failed to penetrate its mysteries. It had something to do with conducting a zombie choir and bowling with zombies. I kind of doubt we’ll be seeing this one in America.

So remember The World Ends with You? No? Ah… Well, anyway, that game takes place in Shibuya, a real, honest to God district in Tokyo. That means if you go to Shibuya you can actually visit some of the places you traversed in the game! This totally blew my mind. What’s next, a trip to Hyrule or Zebes? This particular place is the statue of Hachiko, a very popular spot for loitering seeing as how it’s adjacent to Shibuya’s massive scramble crossing. A lot of pretty important stuff goes down here in The World Ends with You, so it was pretty neat to actually visit it in the real world.

I went to the zoo while I was in Tokyo. God I love Japanese signs.

A totally awesome mural right outside of Kyoto station.

This is basically the Japense equivalent of a corn dog. Not nearly as gross as it looks, although not really that good either.

Oh my God! Look out lady! I don’t know what this thing was, but it was capering about and hugging people in the subway station.

That’s all for now. Maybe if I think anyone is interested I’ll toss up some more culturally relevant pictures.

So you still don’t have an Xbox 360, huh? Well, get ready for the deal to end all deals. At least, I think that’s what Microsoft is hoping.

The latest SKU for their Elite console will be bundled with Halo 3 and Fable II, and should be on store shelves in May. Why, you ask? Because they’re Games of the Year, according to the sticker on the box.

But the more important question: Which year?

The bundle is coming out in May of 2009 - way too early for THIS year’s GOTY candidates to be touted so highly. So it must be 2008, right? Well, Fable II certainly came out late 2008, and many do consider it a worthy game, so I guess that’s okay, but Halo 3 came out in September of 2007. Hmm. Microsoft, you have baffled the consumer once again. Congratulations.

This is also a strange combination. While both are assuredly big games with lots of fans, are there really that many people who love/want both enough to buy the combo? If you’re starving for an Elite, you could do worse with your $399 (the system’s price will remain the same with the 2 games, hence why the games are FREE), but if you just want the Pro system and aren’t really a fan of one or the other game, save yourself the extra $40-$60 and buy another game you’ll actually play.

Plus, I’m thinking that everyone who wants either of these two games probably has a 360 already. Am I wrong? Anyone out there that’s been waiting for a bundle just like this to come along?

Thanks to 1up.com for the pic.

Summary: Relic’s new strategy title is fast-paced, enjoyable fare with crowd-pleasing visuals, hampered only by a few frustrating weaknesses.

Setting: The 41st Millennium, where there are only wars and aliens who want to eat your face.

Systems: PC

Genre: Real-Time Strategy.

Mood: Warlike

Read the full review by Meirion.